Quarter Three

The science fair was based on choosing a partner and to learn and apply something interesting in effort and teamwork. After we are done choosing an interesting experiment, we would work diligently on the project and finish all the deadlines on time. When we have successfully done the experiment, we would put all the detailed information on our display and make the display noticeable, decorative, and interesting to read.

There were many purposes to the science fair but I think the most important purpose was not what we learned, but how we were able to work with a partner and be cooperative even if we did not agree over how the display should look, who should bring the supplies, etc. I think the second most important purpose was what we actually learned from doing our experiment. Since Nora and I did our experiment about Health Science, it was interesting how people were so surprised what they eat everyday their reactions made my partner and I very happy to see and glad that we actually did that particular experiment. The display was also very important and it was vital that our display had a lot of background research, pictures, and an explainable graph so that if both of us were not at our display, the reader or viewer of the display would find the experiment easy to understand.

Last year, I had problems during the science fair; my experiment was not as efficient, my poster had to be redone, and I had nothing to graph for my experiment. When it came time for this year’s science fair I learned how to choose an experiment that is easy to do, but at the same time has a very important meaning that people can benefit from. Since I had a partner this time, I was not the one deciding everything for the project, which made the project display look better and neater than the one I had last year. The experiment that we did this year was also a lot better than my experiment last year because of the fact that it was just a visual experiment but it had a no real purpose to it. Another important aspect that I learned was how to correctly organize myself for the science and to turn everything and always ask questions or concerns for the teacher to know that there is something wrong with your experiment.

I could have learned differently if I presented better for the science fair, especially when it came time to present for the high school students. The day of Science fair, I was mostly the one presenting when my partner was walking around so I could have learned more if we had an equivalent time span for a person to present to several people and then the other person could be walking around and learning more about the other experiments. I also learned differently when I got the tips from the high school students and how to stand, talk, and how to present a project. When it came to the display, my partner, Nora did most of the work so I could have learned differently if I contributed more to the poster and worked with her on it.

This relates to my goal of organization because at the beginning we had a hard time trying to find the correct to use, which caused the time to run by without progress, until we had eventually found the correct magnet to use for the experiment. But after the stage of the magnet, my partner and I got on the right track and started working through the experiment, though we had to change the procedures of the experiment; and were very interested in knowing the results of the three cereals.

Quarter Three

The activity of the eyeball dissection was to show us what we were actually learning, by letting us open an eyeball and actually seeing what was inside it helped everyone see and be amazed at how the eye is so complex and full with interesting niches that make the eye what it is. Another purpose of the dissection was for us to learn how to properly dissect any part of the body by careful cutting, following the directions carefully, and careful partners who know what they are doing.

The purpose of the eyeball dissection was to show us how the eyeball functions and how it connects to the other parts of the body through the Optic nerve. Another purpose of the dissection was to show us how to properly dissect any part of the body of any animal by following the teacher’s the instructions and properly cutting what needs to be cut. It was also interesting to see all the parts of the eye and to actually use them, applying the lens to a piece of paper and reading with it, and understanding how the parts of the eye work before we do the dissection. The idea of dissection is important because you have to know what you are doing when you are dissecting because you do not get second chances.

When we did the dissection of the sheep’s eye, I learned to calm myself down because if you are not careful, the whole procedure of cutting will be ruined which in turn ruins the dissection. It is also important to be careful when examining parts of the eye as not to ruin something while you are trying to examine the inside of the eye. Applying the parts of the eye into objects such as putting the lens on the newspaper was something that I also found interesting when I was dissecting.
I could have learned differently if I wasn’t so afraid of the eyeball at the beginning of the dissection and treated it like I was opening an apple and finding out what was inside. My partner and I also went ahead at the beginning without the teacher’s instructions and I could have learned differently if I listened to the teacher’s instructions and filling out the information before starting the next steps. I had a hard time remembering what the parts of the eye, which prevented me from going to the next step.

If my goal was listening skills, then it would be because during the dissection I had a hard time listening to the instructions because I had afraid of dissecting an eyeball etc. While we were dissecting, I did not listen properly to the instructions which in turn caused my partner and I to behind schedule.

Quarter Two

One of the major activities that we did in quarter two was the model medicine project for science. In Model Medicine, we had to choose a specific medication that treats some thing in the body such as high blood pressure, heart problems, stomach pain, headaches etc. Then after we select a medicine to talk about, we find the active ingredient in that chemical and make a 3-D model with the in it. For example, Bisoprolol, which is the active ingredient in Concor, has 18 Carbons, 31 Hydrogen, one Nitrogen, and four Oxygen. According to those four different atoms on the table, you bond them by covalent bonds, which are bonds between nonmetals and nonmetals. And find how many bonds, or Electrons, are needed between the two atoms.

The purpose of our Model Medicine was to learn about a medicine and the compounds that are used to create the side affects of the medicine and the physical shape of the medicine on the outside. What I think was the most important was that it actually meant to us in the end. Not that like it looked cool or that it had nice colors, but what that medicine to you family-wise which was a major turn for me when I did my Model Medicine.

I learned how to put something on a model. What I mean is my physical and mental feelings and put it into sticks, balls, and toothpicks. I also learned how to correctly bond the atoms together by how many Electrons they shared. Since I had to present to the two classes, I had a more range of questions and comments about my model which, of course, helped me.

I could have learned differently if I would not have at first done the bonds with cut out toothpicks, which resulted in me having to do it repeatedly. Until I finally realized that it would connect and hold on better if it were held by un-cut toothpicks. When I did the paint the balls, it got me confused on my model and I had to work on them in the two periods that we had in class.

This relates to my goals as keeping my homework on track. Because I did not really keep on track due to the fact I had missing colors, and toothpicks. This experiment has helped me realize, especially on big projects, that they are never one-night projects.

Quarter One

SMYLE journals are assignments that are chosen between the topics of math and/or science. These journals give us an opportunity to learn new things about a topic that is meaningful to us. They say that pictures are worth a thousand words, but our SMYLE journals. SMYLE journals are supposed to be at least one paragraph about how it Is meaningful to us. Another paragraph about the topic, and a few sentences about how it relates to math and/or science.

The purpose of a SMYLE journal is to find a topic that is related to math and/or science, talk about the topic in our own words, but also have accurate information. The second reason is to share our ideas about our SMYLE journals with our classmates. With the SMYLE journal, your not writing an essay, your giving a journal entry based on the topic.

I learned how to find some very interesting topics for my SMYLE journal, (even though they were all about my past surgeries), and actually finding some interesting information about the topic that probably never came to thought. When I did my SMYLE journal on Meniscus tear, the surgery I preformed last spring, I learned very many things about the procedure, the important parts in the knee, and how sometimes people develop Meniscus tear through birth or through athletics. Writing why it really mattered to me on paper made me feel really confident so I learned that its usually best to express your feelings on paper because it usually gives you success in the end.

On my first SMYLE journal I did not do so well because I did not follow the directions well enough such as adding a picture to the topic to make it look more realistic. Also I forgot to mention why Rhinoplasty actually matters to me and how it affects me now in the present. I also had too much information on my SMYLE journal, which might have made my SMYLE journal boring in the end.

This relates to my goals as handing in everything nice and neat, because on my first SMYLE journal I did not do so well on because of mistakes. But, the next SMYLE journal shall be better because I added everything that was essential and even added some extra information about the photos and how they show the Meniscus tear on my second SMYLE journal.